The open road

Candy Doyle Editor

Staring down a $3.2 billion deficit, lawmakers have been making headlines for weeks as they struggle to find ways to fund roadwork in Wisconsin.

It's not been an easy match to watch, as Republicans and Democrats sparred over what projects were essential — and where dollars for those projects would come from.

In this issue of Wisconsin Builder, we steer clear of those political potholes that have been so thoroughly covered in The Daily Reporter.

Instead, in the pages that follow, we're taking a road less traveled.

We do provide updates on major road projects in Wisconsin and legislation that will impact road builders here.

But we do more than rehash the legislative debate over transportation funding and what projects are in jeopardy: Jeremy Harrell reports on what projects have made the grade and where those projects are. Check out his report in Down the Road.

We also take a closer look at two key people in the road-building industry: Tom Walker and Bob Cook. Both men lead the state's two road-building associations and have been widely quoted every time an issue on the industry arises. But features of both by Seth Ansorge give us a broader glimpse of the two who are paving the way for Wisconsin road builders.

There's been much talk about work-zone safety and the numbers of construction workers injured or killed by passing motorists. But what other hazards do road builders face?

Harrell talks to health-care and safety experts and reports his findings in Dangerous Road Ahead.

While the state's budget deficit and impact on transportation funding paints an uncertain future for road builders, it's by no means a gloom-and-doom scenario. In fact, Sean Ryan's look though the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's records finds that many road builders in the state have done quite well, thank you. Do you want to know which ones? Check out Ryan's story and accompanying top 10 list to find out.

Enjoy the ride.